Usernames and passwords on Flywheel

Updated on August 26th, 2021

Managing passwords can be a little daunting, particularly for new Flywheel users. Having multiple passwords may seem unintuitive, but hopefully this guide will help clear up some of the confusion.

Flywheel user login

Used to log in at app.getflywheel.com/login

This is the login for your Flywheel user, and no matter how many sites you own, manage, or collaborate on, you should only have one login that you use to manage all of your sites.

You can use either your username or email address (the one associated with your Flywheel user in your profile) to log in.

Note

It is not possible to update or change a Flywheel username.

If you need to reset this password, click the Forget your password? link on the login page and you will receive an email with a link to reset your password. Just be sure the email address you entered is the same one you have on file in your Flywheel user’s profile – and check your spam folder, as password reset emails may get caught there by mistake.

SFTP login

For use in your SFTP client

Your SFTP username and password are the same as the ones that you use to log into Flywheel. This is by design and they cannot be distinct.

If you are entering the correct credentials but still having issues accessing SFTP, check out this help article: How do I access my site via SFTP?

Privacy Mode login

Found on the Overview tab of the site’s dashboard

Flywheel temporary site password
When you have a demo site, this temporary Privacy Mode password blocks the site and protects your content from being seen by visitors or crawled by search engines before you’re ready. This is important, as you don’t want your visitors seeing something you’re still working on, and you don’t want to take a hit to your SEO score over duplicated or inaccurate content.

Note

If you see a pop-up over a white screen when you try to access your Flywheel site, this is the username and password you’re looking for.

By default, Privacy Mode is enabled on all individual Flywheel sites. The username defaults to “flywheel”, and the password defaults to a fun, random two-word combination—but you can change both to something more memorable or personal if you like.

You can also disable Privacy Mode as soon as the site’s subscription is paid, and you’ll want to be sure to do this when you go live so that visitors can see your site.

Note

You may need to disable Privacy Mode before some plugins, themes, and external services, such as speed tests, can communicate with the site properly.

Privacy Mode login (Staging)

Found in the Staging tab of the site’s dashboard

Staging environments on Flywheel can also be protected by Privacy Mode just like the production environment. The username and password is unique to the Staging environment and can be adjusted independently of the main Privacy Mode.

WordPress login

Used to log in at your-site-URL/wp-admin*

*Some security plugins may change this address
WordPress login screen
This is the actual login for your site itself; it’s where you can enter your credentials to access the WordPress admin area, and make edits to pages, posts, plugins, themes, etc. If you created your site on Flywheel, this is where you’ll enter the credentials you chose when the site was first spun up.